Picker motion for looms



Nov. 2 4, 1925.

G. B. AMBLER PICKER MOTON FOR LOOMS Filed Nov. l. 1922 IW/vena?? tiempatented Nov. 241, T25. Y

STATES GEORGE B. AMBLER, OF LEOMIN STER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 F.A. WHITNEY CARRIAGE COMPANY, 0F LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIONOF MASSACHUSETTS.

PICKER MOTION FOR LOOMS.

Application filed November 1, 1922. Serial No. 598,287.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. AMBLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Leominster, county of Worcester, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Picker Motions for Looms,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to looms and more particularly to the pickingmechanism thereof, the purpose being to provide a picking device havinga wide range of movef ment while keeping the other parts of the loom ina compact and accessible organization. The invention finds a particularapplication to the so-called needle looms commonly used for weavingrelatively sti materials, such as wicker ware formed from real orimitation reed and in which a long rod or needle is protracted throughthe shed and in one phase of its movement draws the fillingtherethrough.

My invention will be best understood byy reference to the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment of my l:invention utilized insuch a type of loom and shown by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of so much of a loom as is necessary to anunderstanding of my present invention, the parts being in one phase ofthe picking movement; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view partly broken away showing the parts inopposite phase.

Referring to the drawings, I have there shown a loom of the type havinga needle 5 running on a guideway 7 projecting from the side of the loomand adapted to be thrust linwardly through the shed in the manner shownin Fig. 2. The loom shown is of the single needle type. The width of thefabric woven by this loom is obviously limited by the range of movementof the needle or needles. It has been common to operate such a needle bya rocker link having its upper end connected thereto and operated byconnection to one of the usual power driven shafts organized at thelower part of the loom. rThe angular stroke of such a rocker link islimited by practical considerations and obviously the length of the arcof movement of the upper end of the weaving operation takes place at arelatively low elevation such as is convenient and customary in looms.

In carrying out my invention I may utilize as elements of thecombination suitable mechanisms similar to those hitherto used.Referring to the drawings, I have there shown a driven wheel 9 locatedat the under side of the loom having a wrist pin 11 which works in anarc-shaped slot in a rocker arm 13. When the wrist pin 11 Iis travellingthrough the right hand portionof its path as shown in Fig. 1 the rockerarm 13 will be stationary, the slot therein being concentric with thepath of the pin. As the pin passes into the other half of Iits circularpatch (see Fig. 2) the rocker arm 13 will b e reciprocated with aretardation at the reversal of movement. Such a motion is particularlyadaptable for the protracting and retracting movement of the needle 5.The rocker arm 13 may be joined by means of a connecting rod 15 to aprimary or driving rocker link 17 supported, in the example illustratedat its extreme lower end, by a radi'us link 19 and the rocker link 17will obviously be oscillated with a motion corresponding to that of thearm 13. Referring to Figs. l and 2 which show the link 17 at itsextremes of movement, it will be seen that if the needle 5 were drivenby this link the range of motion would be relatively limited and thislimitation is the greater the lower is the position of the needle 5. Itis impractical or inconvenient, however, to place the mechanism at agreat elevation.

In accordance with my invention I utilize for driving the needle 7 a.rocker link depending from above, the length of which is not limited bythe position of the needle 5 and the slide 7 at a convenient elevation.A suitable frame-work 21 may be built to any desired elevation and tothis is pivoted a secondary or driven rocker link 23 which may swing inand be guided by a suitable slot in a frame member 25 extending parallelto the slide 7. The elevation of the pivot point of the link 23 abovethe plane of weave where the needle operates may be substantiallygreater than the efective elevation of that plane, that is, the distanceof that plane above a point, below the same where it would be reasonablypossible to support driving devices. The linear stroke of the end of thelink obviously is increased directly in proportion to its increasedlength as compared with an upstanding drivlng link such as has beenpreviously referred to. The end of this link 23 swings close to theplane of the slide 7 and consequently a maximum movement of the slidethrough the link is provided and this may be effected while compensatingfor the fact that the end of the link 23 moves in a circular arc whilethe movement of the needle 5 is rectili'pear by coupling the partsthrough a link 2 The driven link 23 may be oscillated by the drivinglink 17 and for this purpose I have shown the latter provided with anoffset end extending past the plane of weave and being connected abovethe same to the link 23 at an intermediate point of the latter. In theexample shown the link 23 is operated as a lever of the third class andthe point 33 where power is applied is re lmote from its fulcrum so thatthe driving link 17 acts with good mechanical advan-,

tage. rlhe relative arrangment of the links also provides a compactorganization, the region in which the linkage operates being reasonablyrestricted and the links in their movement do not interfere with otherparts of the loom. The offset 29 shown provides in the constructionillustrated for carrying the end of the link 17 from the plane of therocker arm 13 which is close to the slide 7 to a point in the rear ofthe latter to be connected to the rear of the link 23. I have shown thetwo links 17 and 23 as provided with suitable shoes 31 which fll anyclearance between them and provide a restricted bearing for the pivotalconnection of the two links by the pivot pin 33 which preferably takesinto suitable slots as indicated to provide a certain looseness in theivotal connection to prevent any possible inding. The link 17 in theexample shown extends past the pivot point and is received in and guidedby a suitable slot in the frame member 25. It will be clear that theshoe 31 at .the upper end of the driving link 17 because of therelatively great length of such link will have a long stroke for a givenangular movement effected by the rocker arm 13 and the end of the drivenlink 23 will move through a correspondingly greater linear distance. Atthe same time the angle of movement will be maintained at a small valueand the lower end of link 23 will move in a relatively shallow arcapproximating t-he straight line of guide 7 and exert an effectivelyapplied push or pull on the needle 5 to reciprocate the same.

In one view of the construction illustrated the links 17 and 23 pivotedtogether at 33 constitute a toggle which is thrown to opposite sides ofdead center and one arm of which is extended past the pivot forconnection to the needle 5. Herein the mounting of the driving link 17on the radius link 19 permits the reverse breaking of the toggle whilethe driven link 23 Swings from a fixed pivot and may be guided as shownat an intermediate point by the frame member 25. In the example shownthe lower arm of the toggle consisting of the link 17 is considerablylonger than the upper arm consisting of that part of the link 23 betweenits pivot and the point 33. By this arrangment the angular stroke of thedriving link 17 is minimized.

By such a construction as is exemplified by that just described a longmovement may be given to the needle 5 while keeping the position thereofand consequently the cooperating parts of the loom at a relatively lowelevation. W'hen this is effected as herein by a depending driving linkthe connection may be made asshown by suitable cooperating mechanismorganized on the other or lower side of the slide and at the loom sidewhich permits power to be taken from the usual driving shafts underneaththe loom and without encumbering the upper portion thereof. As appearsfrom Fig. 2 the needle in its inner position is unsupported by the slide7 except at one end. Because of the wide range of movement permitted bythe pickin motion herein described the long needle might droop and failto align with the means presentingthe filling thereto or taking ittherefrom as the case may be. Preferably, therefore, I arrange some orall, herein some, of the beat up dents 35 of the loom in the form ofopen throated hooks through which the needle passes in their retractedposition in such manner that they underride-and Support the same andmaintain it in a fixed line of movement. Such a construction is morefully illustrated and claimed in my copending application Serial No.574,029, filed Jul 10, 1922.

Having thus descri ed in detail one embodiment of my invention, what Iclaim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent I shallexpress in the following claims:

1. A loom having a needle adapted to be projected and retracted throughthe shed to lay the filling and means for driving the samecomprising anupstanding rocking lever pivotally mounted below and extending past thehorizontal plane .of the needle,

means for oscillating said link, a depending lever swinging about acenter at a distance above said plane greater than the distance of saidplane above the pivot of the lever, Said lever being connectedto a pointbetween the ends of the link and the free end of said link beingconnected to the needle, the whole constituting a needle-operatinglinkage operating substantially in a single plane.

2. A loom having a needle adapted to be projected and retracted throughthe shed to lay the filling and means for driving the same comprising annpstanding rocking lever pivotally mounted below and extending past thehorizontal plane ol the needle., means for oscillating said link, adepending lever swinging about a center at a distance above said planegreater than the distance of said plane above the pivot of the lever,said lever being connected to a point between the ends oi' the link andthe tree end of said link being connected to the needle, one of saidlinks being mounted to permit endwise movement thereof during itsoscillation, the whole constituting a needle-operating linkage operatingsubstantially in a single plane.

3. A loom having a needle adapted to be i projected and retractedthrough the shed to lay the filling and means for driving the samecomprising a depending link pivoted above the plane of weave, anupstanding link pivoted thereto at a point abo-ve the plane of weave,thetwo constitutinga toggle operating in a substantially vertical plane,the depending link being extended to a point adjacent the plane of weaveand connected to the needle and means connected to the upstanding linkto throw said toggle to opposite sides of dead center, the arm of thetoggle formed by the upstanding link being longer than the arm formed bythe depending link whereb a relatively small angular movement of tiielatter is eiective to traverse the needle. 4

4. A loom having a needle adapted to be projected and retracted throughthe shed to lay the filling and means for driving the same comprising adepending link pivoted above the plane of weave, an upstanding linkpivoted thereto at a point above the plane of weave, the twoconstituting a toggle operating in a substantially vertical plane, thedepending link being extended to a. point adjacent the plane of weaveand connected to the needle andy means connected to the upstanding linkto throw said toggle to opposite sides of deadv center, the arm ot` thetoggle formed by the upstanding link being longer than the arm formed bythe depending link whereby a relatively small angular movement of thelatter is effective to traverse the needle and the ef- Jfective lengthof the depending link being greater than the elevation of the plane ofweave.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE B. AMBLER.

